The Wonderful Feast

written and illustrated by Esphyr Slobodkina.

Originally published in 1955 by Lothrop. Republished in 1993 by Greenwillow.

SYNOPSIS: Farmer Jones thought there was just enough food to make a feast for Spotty, his horse. But he was mistaken. For after Spotty had eaten his fill, there was enough left over to feed all the animals in the barnyard. A wonderful feast indeed!

The gradual way the meal is portioned– the largest share for the largest animal and the last tiny crumb that is carried away by the ant will be completely satisfying to children, and, without preaching, point out the logic of sharing.

About the Illustrations: The Wonderful Feast was produced using the collage technique. Slobodkina chose very simple design using a block method. Colors are predominantly solid and bold and presented in a double-page spread format throughout most of the book. Slobodkina explained her choice of medium by saying that cutouts “enforce” a “simplicity of line that cannot be achieved by pen.”

About the Story: Slobodkina considered this her favorite children’s book.

Sample of Inside Pages: